by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel brings something to Sunday's divisional playoff game with the Seattle Seahawks that the Falcons have lacked during their 0-3 playoff drought since 2008.

Samuel calls his proven postseason play-making dynamic "Swag 100.''

Or at least that's what he has dubbed himself, because "I'm swag 100% of the time,'' Samuel told USA TODAY Sports. "In order to have swag, you have to be balling -- doing your thing and making game-changing plays, like I've been doing."

In other words, you must have swagger.

"It's all about being a leader, making everybody around you better," Samuel said. "That's what I want to do, make everybody around me better and have everybody go out for one common goal: to win a championship.''

The 11th-year cornerback, with 48 career interceptions, has instilled a loose but fiery edge to practices and games, and he expects to be in the middle of big moments Sunday.

Samuel's seven postseason interceptions are second among active players, and he owns a league postseason record: four career interception returns for touchdowns.

So while lippy Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman gets the spotlight for his eight interceptions during the regular season (and taunting opposing coaches and confronting opponents after the game), Samuel has helped the Falcons improve by challenging quarterback Matt Ryan and his receivers every day on the practice field.

While Samuel has nicknamed himself, his teammates have a label for him, too: "Human Crowd Noise," receiver Roddy White said laughing.

Added coach Mike Smith: "Asante talks a lot. And he makes practice fun. Nobody is exempt, including me and Matt. Asante's been a great addition to our team. He exudes confidence in his game and it rubs off on other guys in the locker room.''

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff acquired Samuel, a former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back, in an April 2012 trade. Dimitroff knew Samuel's game from their time together in 2003 to 2007, when the New England Patriots won two Super Bowls. The Falcons wanted Samuel to inject the secondary with fearless aggressiveness, and with Samuel, the unit's play-making production has jumped dramatically.

Safety Thomas DeCoud led the Falcons with a career-best six interceptions, Samuel added five and safety William Moore picked off four passes.

Samuel isn't all edgy cockiness as his Twitter account might suggest, where his biography announces him as a "future Hall of Famer'' and the "CEO of many things.''

During the Falcons' bye week, Samuel lost his mother, Christine, after a long battle with ALS. He was extremely close to the woman who inspired him by the way she scrapped to raise a family as a single parent, he said. Samuel dedicates this latest postseason chance to the mother who led him to create "Bring It Home Moms," a foundation to assist struggling single mothers.

"She was my everything, my inspiration,'' Samuel said. "She taught me everything I know about life -- how to not take 'No' for an answer, how to work hard, how to communicate. She meant the world to me and my kids. 'She had been through a lot. It was time for her to go home to God.''

But his mother isn't Samuel's only source of motivation. He remembers how he was dumped by the Eagles for a seventh-round pick.

"It's always time for me to step up, because I'm here," Samuel said. "It's show time. Everybody has to take their game to the next level."